Purple is Prettier than Pink
by Jeni
Summary: Astronema decides she wants a morpher for herself. And she knows just who to steal it from. Cassie. Please r&R! Thanx!
1. Purple is Prettier than Pink

  
Purple is Prettier than Pink  
  
BY: Jeni   
Disclaimer: Even though I would love to, I don't own Power Rangers; some guy named Saban does. And although all characters in this story belong to him, the story plot is of my creation, as well as all the events in it. This is pretty much a Cassie romance fic, but Astronema after her powers adds a little action to it. Please review! (Yes, you can tell me I suck, but if I get too many of those I might need therapy). Enjoy!  
  
  
  
"Astronema's after Cassie." TJ announced into the still air. He gazed around the room, meeting each ranger's gaze individually, and was surprised when Andros didn't look away.  
  
He pushed his curiosity to the back of his mind and focused on the matter at hand.  
  
"What do you mean? I thought she was after all of us." Carlos, the black ranger, stated.   
  
TJ sighed. "She is. But she's after Cassie the most right now. I don't know why."  
  
"What makes you think so? What happened?" Andros demanded. TJ spared him a glare which the red ranger returned.  
  
"We were on our way to the Surf Spot to meet you guys," he recalled with a faraway look in his eyes. "When she just appeared with a squad of Quantrons. The quantrons came after me while she went for Cassie."  
  
He paused and Cassie spoke up. "She wants my powers!" she whispered. "She tried to force demorph me so she could grab my morpher. She had just knocked me to the ground when..."   
  
"When we showed up." Carlos finished. Both TJ and Cassie nodded.  
  
"It doesn't make sense! Why is she after Cassie's powers? Why not which ever one she can get?" Ashley asked.  
  
TJ glanced at Cassie and shrugged. "To tell you the truth I thought she'd go for Andros, since he's the most powerful, and our leader."   
  
"Or you; you're second in command," Carlos murmured as he chewed his lip.  
  
TJ tilted his head to the side. He was about to respond when a movement from the corner of TJ's eye caught his attention. He turned in time to see Andros grab Ashley by the arm and gently tug her over to stand beside Cassie. Stepping back he regarded both rangers intently.  
  
"What the-"Carlos began, but TJ shushed him. The two rangers stood in bewildered silence as Andros circled the female rangers, eyes intent on their faces. He reached out and poked Ashley in the side.  
  
"And you?" he whispered.  
  
"And me what?" Ashley asked. But Andros just shook his head and walked over to Cassie.  
  
"Pink," he observed thoughtfully. "Lighter than red but darker than yellow."  
  
"What is he saying?" Carlos muttered, and TJ found himself agreeing.  
  
"Are you saying their colors have something to do with Astronema's attacks?" he asked doubtfully.  
  
Andros looked at the blue ranger and his second-in-command. "Or lack thereof," he corrected.  
  
"What?" Ashley blinked. "You've confused me."  
  
"Yeah, man," Carlos added. "Rewind."  
  
Andros frowned in confusion. "What does rewinding have to do with colors?"  
  
"Or lack thereof," TJ muttered.  
  
Ashley shot a glare in TJ's direction and he grinned sheepishly. "Sorry."  
  
The yellow ranger merely sighed and rolled her eyes before turning back to Andros. "He means explain again?" She cocked her head and smiled sweetly at the red ranger.   
  
Andros shrugged, oblivious to her less-than-subtle hint, and said, "It's simple. What color represents Astronema?"   
  
"Um, I didn't think she represented any color." Carlos replied, scratching his head.  
  
"Purple." Cassie spoke up suddenly, causing the rangers to turn to her in surprise. All but Andros, TJ noted with amusement. The red ranger always seemed to know something no one else did, but Cassie seemed the quickest to catch on to his ideas.  
  
TJ crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Explain?" he asked. He felt his heart leap as the pretty pink ranger smiled.  
  
"Think about it," she replied. "Her favorite hair color is purple."  
  
"So?" he countered. "She has a lot of favorite hair colors. Purple is just one of them."  
  
Cassie shook her head, still smiling. "I'm not finished. What color is her sceptor?"  
  
"Not purple," Ashley stated as a matter-of-factly.  
  
"No," Cassie admitted, "But her magic is."  
  
There was a second of stunned silence as the meaning of what the pink ranger had said sunk in. "Then what did Andros mean by lack of colors?" Carlos asked.  
  
Cassie shrugged. "I'm not sure." she admitted. "You'll have to ask him."   
  
As one four pairs of eyes turned slowly and regarded the red ranger expectantly. "Oh, come on!" He burst out. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed she's partial to the color yellow as well!"  
  
"Well..." Ashley trailed off sheepishly, and TJ grinned.   
  
"Not really." he replied. "But how do you know?"  
  
Andros flung his arms in the air in exasperation. "Because Astronema follows Ashley's every move when we're in battle!"  
  
"I thought she watched you!" Carlos exclaimed. The black ranger failed to see the knowing grin Cassie shot Ashley, causing the yellow ranger to blush and turn the color of Andros' ranger uniform, and TJ smothered a grin. Without realizing it, Andros had just revealed to the others the fact that he had indeed noticed Ashley's interest in him, and that he cared about her enough to watch out for her during battle, too, something that TJ had noticed a while back but hadn't mentioned to anyone.   
  
"When she's not staring at me like she wants to fry me she's glaring at Ashley," Andros retorted, drawing TJ's attention back to the current situation. He noted in amusement the red ranger seemed to be catching on to Earth's slang fairly well. "It's almost like she's mad at her for something."  
  
"For hanging around you all the time and preventing your capture?" Carlos suggested.  
  
"Carlos!" Ashley shrieked, face once again turning bright red. TJ winced. Carlos had just overstepped the line between irritation and anger for their leader, and the blue ranger almost pitied him. He turned his back away from the pair as well as averting his eyes, and saw Cassie do the same.   
  
Ashley, however, continued to stare at the scene curiously.  
  
Surprisingly, though, Andros simply said, "Ashley may make Astronema angry from following me around all the time, but that is not the point."  
  
TJ's head jerked up and he whirled to meet Cassie's eyes, seeing the surprise he felt mirrored on her face. Did Andros just admit he needed Ashley's help? he wondered, dazed.  
  
The red ranger continued, "Astronema likes the color yellow; trust me. You haven't known her as long as I have, but yellow seems to be her second favorite color. She always wears something yellow hidden beneath her hair. I think it's a string braided into her hair, but I'm not sure." he shrugged. "I discovered it a few years ago when I accidentally knocked off one of her wigs off in a fight." He smiled in wicked pleasure at the memory, and TJ laughed.  
  
"You enjoyed that, didn't you." It was a statement more than a question, but Andros took him literally.  
  
"You bet I did." he chuckled. "The look on her face was priceless! She turned bright red!" he collapsed in a fit of laughter.  
  
TJ looked at Cassie in worried amusement. This was the first time he had ever heard Andros actually laugh, but he found himself wishing it didn't sound so... bitter. On the other hand, though, the thought of Astronema throwing a fit over the loss of her wig was amusing, and he found himself grinning.  
  
"So what does this have to do with her trying to steal Cassie's powers?" he asked after Andros had regained his composure.  
  
The red ranger shrugged. "Simple. Pink is closer to the color purple than yellow, and while red or blue is the closest, they also happen to be the farthest away from yellow."  
  
"Boy," Carlso muttered, shaking his head, "she sure is picky."  
  
Ashley's bright peal of laughter overlaid everyone else's, and it filled the megaship with the sound.  
  
* * *  
A knock on the door alerted the sleepy pink ranger to a visitor. She groggily lifted her head off her pillow. "Who is it?" she asked.  
  
A muffled "TJ," told her just who her unexpected visitor was.   
  
Sighing she swung her legs over her bunk and regarded the door. "Come in."  
  
The door hissed open upon her command to reveal the blue ranger standing impatiently, waiting for it to open far enough for him to enter. Cassie smothered a giggle. TJ was patient and calm in many times of crisis, yet he could be as jittery as anyone else when it came to a simple matter such as talking to a teammate or friend.  
  
Just a friend? Cassie wondered as he slowly stepped into her darkened room. Or do I want him to be something else? Something more? I thought I loved Phantom, but Phantom's never around, and TJ is...  
  
"Cassie?" the soft murmur of her name startled her and she glanced up.  
  
"Yeah?" she asked.  
  
He sighed and glanced down at the floor. Now thoroughly confused and worried, Cassie asked, "Are you all right?"  
  
His head snapped up, almost as if he had forgotten she was there. "No- I mean yes! I mean- oh, nothing," he stuttered. "Just- be careful, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you."  
  
Cassie frowned. "I'm always careful."  
  
TJ's lip quirked up ever so slightly, and he answered in an amused voice, "Not always."  
  
She opened her mouth to argue her point with him when he raised his hand, and she could almost see his worried expression in the darkness of her room.  
  
"Just hear me out," he requested, waiting for her short nod before continuing. Taking a deep breath, he continued seriously yet gently, "I know you think you can take care of yourself," he began quietly, "and normally I would agree with you."  
  
Cassie crossed her arms across her chest defiantly. She knew where he was leading the conversation, but she didn't like it.  
  
He saw her irritation and hurried on, his words a rush. "But this is different. Astronema is after you specifically. And she'll do anything to get your powers. So be careful, okay? And always let one of us know where you're going."   
  
Cassie continued to stare at him and he matched her eye to eye. Finally, she sighed, arms dropping from her chest to her sides. "All right. I guess I can live with that."  
  
TJ smiled. "Thanks." he said. He turned away to go. When he reached the doorway he paused, glancing back over his shoulder to meet her gaze once again. "Astronema won't get your powers." the blue ranger promised, and Cassie could tell by the firmness in his tone that he meant it. "We won't let her." And then he was gone, the door sliding shut behind him, and Cassie slumped back into bed with a sigh.  
  
A few moments later she was asleep.  
  
* * *   
She awoke knowing something was wrong. She struggled up into a sitting position to squint through sleep-filled eyes at the chrono on the wall. She let a gasp of dismay escape her lips when the numbers 8:30 penetrated her sleepy brain.  
  
She was late for school!  
  
She stumbled to her feet, grabbing a scrunchy to tie her hair back with, and lurched onto the holding bay.  
  
It was empty. None of the rangers were there, nor had been for quite sometime, judging by the clean table and lack of homework strewn about the floor.  
  
Turning around she grabbed a blueberry bagel from the synthetron and headed toward the bridge. There was one ranger who didn't go to school, and she would squeeze every ounce of information out of him she could.  
  
The doors to the lift swung open and she strode down the hallway angrily. Turning the corner she entered the bridge.  
  
"What is going on?" she snapped by way off greeting. She had the small satisfaction of Andros whirling around, surprised written all over his face.  
  
His eyes flicked to her outstretched hand and his lips quirked upward in the beginning of a smile. Glancing down she nearly laughed. She was brandishing her bagel in front of her like a sword.  
  
She cleared her throat and lowered her outstretched arm slowly. In a slightly calmer voice, she asked, "Why was I not awakened for school?"  
  
Andros shrugged. "It wasn't my idea."  
  
"Who's was it?" she demanded. "Because I swear once I get my hands on that person I'll- I'll do something to them!"  
  
Andros' left eyebrow lifted and she knew he had seen her frustration. Of course, she thought in dim amusement, it would be hard even for him to miss it, granted it's not every day someone approaches you like they're going to bash you on the head with a blueberry bagel.  
  
"I'm not sure, actually." his soft reply only angered Cassie more. How could he be so calm? She had had no say in the matter! He failed to notice her growing irritation and continued, "All I know is by the time I went to breakfast they had already planned everything out. They had even instructed DECA not to wake you."  
  
"You could have overridden their command, though." Cassie snapped.   
  
Andros shrugged. "I could have." he admitted. "But I tend to agree with them. If you go to school Astronema could attack."  
  
"She attacks all the time when I'm not at school." Cassie muttered. "Why should it matter if she attacks when I am at school?"  
  
"Because you might not be able to morph." he stated simply.  
  
Cassie blinked. "Oh." she was all she could say. "But what am I supposed to do all day?"  
  
Andros tilted his head in the direction of her bagel. "You could start by eating breakfast. And then you can do your homework."  
  
"You got it already?" she asked, surprised. "How'd you do that?"  
  
"I didn't." Andros frowned. "I think either TJ or Ashley called you in last night and picked it up then." he cocked his head. "Or maybe it was Carlos. I'm not sure. Come to think of it, Alpha could've-"  
  
Cassie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Never mind. I don't want to know."  
  
The red ranger shrugged and returned to his work, leaving her to figure out the puzzle by herself.   
  
* * *  
  
"I don't believe this!" Astronema shrieked. "The little brat is supposed to be at school! Where is she?"  
  
"I would imagine she is on the megaship," Ecliptor responded. "The rangers must know your plan. They are keeping her hidden from you."  
  
"Well, they can't hide her from me for long," Astronema snapped. "Especially if I send a monster down to Earth."  
  
"She might stay on their ship," the black and green monster pointed out.  
  
Astronema laughed. "She'll come down if the others are in danger. She won't be able to stop herself."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ugh!" Cassie flung her pencil in her math book and slammed it shut. "I hate calculating distances!"  
  
From his position next to the console Andros glanced up. "Having trouble?" he asked.  
  
Cassie glared at him. "Yes!" she sighed, rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hands. "How come you don't have to go to school anyway?"  
  
Andros gave her a strange look. "You think I'd make it through a day there without someone figuring out I didn't know anything about your planet or its history?" he grinned suddenly. "Besides, who would call up those lovely excuses to get you out of class when there's a monster attack?"  
  
Cassie shrugged sarcastically. "I dunno, maybe DECA."  
  
Andros gave a short laugh. "Yeah, right. Her excuse would be something like, 'Sorry Ashley, Cassie, TJ, and Carlos can't make it to school today, but they were abducted by an alien and therefore are unable to attend class."  
  
"Which is pretty much what you say," Cassie pointed out.  
  
Andros paused. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Huh. Oh, well. What do you need help with?"  
  
Cassie opened her book up and pointed to number 27. "They want us to calculate the distance of these galaxies." she replied. "Frankly, I'm about ready to have DECA do it for me."  
  
"Oh, come on," Andros scoffed. "That wouldn't help you any come test time."  
  
"I know," Cassie answered, "That's why I haven't had her. Yet."  
  
Andros didn't answer as he gazed at the problem with interest. "Oh, this is simple!" he exclaimed. "All you need is the formula."  
  
"Well, what is the formula?" Cassie asked, exasperated. "Because I don't have it!"  
  
Andros plucked her pencil from her hand and scribbled something on her paper. She frowned as she read it. "L=Const*V(rot) to the fourth square?"   
  
"Yep," Andros pointed to the letter L. "L is the luminosity, and V(rot) is the rotation of the galaxy." he moved the pencil to point at the V. "Just follow the equation and you'll get the right answer." He handed the pencil back to her with a shrug. "Quite simple, really."  
  
Cassie sighed. "Why do we have to learn this stuff, anyway? I mean, when are we ever going to use it?"  
  
Andros threw a look in her direction and she immediately understood. "Point taken," she added hastily. "That was a stupid question."  
  
The red ranger said nothing; he merely nodded and returned to his repair work, once again leaving her to puzzle something out.  
  
* * *  
  
Astronema paced back and forth in front of her row of hand-picked monsters, taking her time in choosing. She stopped to face a spiked hedgehog-like thing.  
  
Personally, she had never even heard of a hedgehog until she followed the rangers to Earth, and even then she hadn't known of its existence. It was only during a battle with the rangers that had forced her to discover the ridiculous looking creature.  
  
She had literally stumbled upon it, she recalled with a scowl of anger. Those stupid rangers had meant for her to get poked. But she would have the final laugh.  
  
After the battle she had returned to the Dark Fortress and had began creating a new monster. She had given it its shape, its power, and although it was merely a myth about porcupines throwing their spines she had given it that ability. Of course, it wasn't a porcupine. It was a hedgehog.   
  
"My Princess," Ecliptor bowed to her graciously. "I believe now is the perfect time to attack the Earth. The rangers are no longer at school."  
  
"They're not back on their ship, are they?" she asked worriedly.  
  
Ecliptor shook is head. "No," he responded gravely. "But they will be soon."  
  
"Very well." Astronema gazed at the hedgehog fondly before commanding, "Porcupotticus! Attack the Earth!"  
  
* * *  
Cassie felt as if she had jumped out of her skin when the alarm sounded. Glaring at DECA she dropped her book and homework and followed Andros off the bridge and into the holding bay. As he turned to morph, he caught sight of her and frowned.   
  
"Oh, no you don't." He moved her away from her jump tube.  
  
"But you'll need my help!" Cassie protested. "I'll be careful!"  
  
"That doesn't matter." Andros snapped into his leader mode. "This entire battle is most likely to get you off the ship."  
  
"Well, I'm not going to stay on here forever!" she cried.  
  
"Of course not." The red ranger sounded slightly miffed. "But you're not leaving right now, either." He waited for her reluctant sigh before he whirled and was gone.   
  
Cassie waited long enough to make sure he wouldn't return before leaping up the stairs and sliding through her own jump tube. She could take care of herself.  
  
The tube slanted slightly and a flash of pink nearly blinded her as her galaxy glider appeared, and she landed on it in a crouch. She skillfully steered her way through the hyperspace tunnel, and then a gap opened and she flew through, revealing the rest of the ranger team battling a strange... porcupine.  
  
She leaped off her galaxy glider and landed in front of TJ. From his gasp she knew he was angry, but she didn't care. She wasn't going to let him get hurt because of her.  
  
"Cassie, what are you doing here?" A female yell through her helmet's communicator made her wince.  
  
"Ashley, quiet down," she snapped. "And I'm fine."  
  
"You won't be when Andros finds out you disobeyed his order," Ashley grumbled. "That is if TJ or I don't kill you first."  
  
The porcupine whirled and fired a spike at the yellow ranger. Cassie opened her mouth to scream, knowing it was too late, when a red streak rushed in and knocked Ashley out of the way and to safety.  
  
As she watched in stunned silence the flash of red rolled to his feet, and with a yell of "Spiral Sabre!" when running toward the strange creature.  
  
The red ranger was thrown back several feet after slashing the creature several times. He went rolling, and when he finally stopped Ashley was there to help him up.   
  
Cassie swallowed as Andros' helmeted face turned to her. She couldn't read his expression beneath the visor, nor could she tell by his stance whether he was angry or not. She could tell, however, without even looking, that TJ was furious. And going on her conversation with Ashley the yellow ranger wasn't too happy with her either.  
  
She turned her attention back to the porcupine and pointed her finger at its large head. "What do you say we send this porcupine back to wherever it is he came from?"   
  
Carlos shouted in agreement, which the other rangers quickly echoed. "All right!" Cassie shouted. "Astro Blasters, fire!"  
  
As one all five rangers pulled their blasters from their sheaths and fired on Astronema's newest creation.  
  
"Lunar Lance!" Carlos shouted, leaping into the air immediately after the shots struck the porcupine, and he sliced several of its spikes in half before he was flung away.  
  
"Carlos!" TJ cried, running to the black ranger. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, but that guy is a big pain in the-"  
  
"Yeah, you're okay," TJ quipped, helping the black ranger to his feet.  
  
"Satellite Stunner!" Cassie heard herself yell just as Ashley's cry of "Starslinger!" came through her communicator. They fired, hitting the spiked mammal in the eye and nose, and they whooped. "That was awesome, Ash!" Cassie congratulated.   
  
Ashley giggled from her position next to Andros. "You weren't so bad yourself, Cass."   
  
The porcupine snarled, tail swishing, and the rangers found themselves slowly moving back. "No one does that to me!" the creature fumed. "No one!"  
  
"No one but the Power Rangers, that is," TJ stated boldly.  
  
"That's what you think!" the monster jumped in the air, whirling around with surprising agility for a creature so cumbersome, and thrust its tail forward, spraying quills everywhere.   
  
Cassie ducked, shielding her head with her arm, and she heard Ashley's cries of pain as a quill struck the teenage girl in the leg. With a wrenched cry of her best friend's name Cassie took of running toward the fallen girl, aware of the other rangers already surrounding her.  
  
"Aha!" the porcupine would have snapped its fingers if it had any, but it didn't, so it settled for snapping its teeth together instead. It reached out with its gigantic paw and Cassie felt herself being lifted ( and none too gently, either), into the air.  
  
"Cassie!" she heard Ashley's anguished cry of knowing her friend was in trouble, and she heard TJ's command for her to hold on, and then she felt herself disappear in a Astronema's teleportation stream.   
  
She awoke sometime later in a darkened cell... Astronema's dungeon, she realized, and the chilliness alerted her to the fact that she was no longer morphed. A slight movement beneath her startled her, and she struggled to lift herself into a sitting position when a glove hand pressed her firmly back down.   
  
"Hold still, Cassie. You've been hurt."  
  
She gasped. That voice... "Phantom?"  
  
  
To be continued.  



	2. Some Things Are Better Left Alone

  
Some Things are Better Left Alone  
BY: Jeni  
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I wish I did, but I don't, so I'll just settle for being a ranger instead. Shoot! Can't be that either…  
  
Author's Note: Okay, as you can see, Phantom won the vote! Don't kill me, I just tallied up the nominations and this is what I got. So here it is! The sequel!!  
  
  
She awoke sometime later in a darkened cell- Astronema's dungeon, she realized, and the chilliness alerted her to the fact that she was no longer morphed. A slight movement beneath her startled her, and she struggled to lift herself into a sitting position when a glove hand pressed her firmly back down.  
  
"Hold still, Cassie. You've been hurt."  
  
She gasped. That voice… "Phantom?"  
  
"Yes, Cassie." The soft voice is her ear reassured her to the fact that it indeed was the Phantom Ranger whom she missed so much.  
  
"What… what are you doing here?" she managed to gasp out. Between the pain in her head and the shock of being captured she was still not thinking as clearly as she would have preferred, but her numb mind had somehow latched onto his presence and was not willing to let go. Please don't be a dream... she thought frantically. Please be here…  
  
"Being held prisoner, same as you." he replied with a hint of amusement in his voice, and she frowned. Phantom had a sense of humor?  
  
Biting back a snide reply to his answer, she asked instead, "How long have you been here?" She felt, rather than heard, the other ranger's sigh, and she squinted up at him through pain-filled eyes.  
  
"Too long," he replied. "But in a strange way I'm glad I am here. Now we can work together to escape this place." As if to emphasize his point he surveyed their small prison through his visor.  
  
Cassie shook her head ruefully. "I'm afraid I won't be much help," she admitted softly. "I can barely think, let alone-" she broke off with a gasp as she attempted to sit, and she slumped back into the strong arms of the mysterious ranger. "I can barely move," she finished unnecessarily. She closed her eyes in attempt to shield off some of the fiery pain coursing through her, feeling as if one of the Borg in Star Trek, the show that Carlos liked, had begun to assimilate her, but had never finished.  
  
"I'm afraid that is a side effect of the drug you were given." Phantom said almost apologetically. "I was unable to prevent them from administrating it to you. I am sorry."  
  
Cassie smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. Unfortunately, she was in so much pain she couldn't be sure if it looked more like a smile or a snarl. "It's not your fault." she replied, not willing to let him take the blame. "You had no control over it." She saw the black clad ranger shake his head, dismissing the speech she had heard Ashley tell Andros over and over again, and for a fleeting moment she wondered at how alike her leader and her present companion were.  
  
"Did they inject you when you first came here?" she asked in genuine curiousity.  
  
Phantom shook his head, and she had the distinct feeling of him frowning beneath his visor. "No," his voice remained impassive, but whether he had done so out of habit or just so she couldn't understand what he was truly thinking she wasn't sure. "That is why I am uncertain as to why they did it to you."  
  
Cassie frowned through her pain. This was the first time she had ever been captured, but she vaguely remembered Andros mentioning something about… she sighed, unable to think clearly or even recall what her leader had said about his time as a prisoner. Not that he had said much to begin with, of course, and what little he did say had been practically dragged out of him. She returned her attention to the task of puzzling out Astronema's motives with a sigh; one of these days she would learn. She felt her lips twitch upward slightly to reveal the beginning of a grim smile. One of these days, but not today.  
  
The door to the cell hissed open, and she shifted her gaze to see Astronema enter the rangers' prison, Ecliptor following obediently.  
  
"So," the Princess of Evil stated when she reached the two prisoners, twirling a strand of purple hair around her finger smugly. "The Pink Ranger is awake."  
  
Laying flat on her back as she was, Cassie still managed to glare at her hated enemy, feeling Phantom tense beneath her. "What do you want, Astronema?" she snarled.  
  
Astronema grinned sweetly. "My dear Pink Ranger," she began, arrogantly tossing her hair across her shoulder. "I should have thought that obvious, even for a human with as little brains as you."   
  
The remark should have angered Cassie, but she found herself strangely detached from any emotions. She searched her mind in attempt to form a response when Phantom spoke up, voice harsh. "It appears the only one with very little brains here is you, Astronema. You should know her friends will come for her."  
  
Astronema stared at the two rangers for several moments, so long that Cassie began to think she wouldn't respond at all, when she threw back her head and laughed in bitter irony.  
  
"I honestly hope they do," Astronema smirked. "I have many subjects who wouldn't mind obtaining their powers."  
  
"Why, you-"Cassie surged up, ignoring the pain that shot through her body. "You leave my friends alone, you hear?"  
  
Astronema regarded her in faint amusement. "You are in no condition to be making demands," she smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid your friends won't be able to help you now. If they try, they'll suffer the same fate as you."  
  
Cassie sank back against Phantom, exhausted and in pain. "You'll never have my powers," she muttered defiantly.  
  
Astronema stared at her for several seconds, twirling a finger around her long purple hair absently. Slowly she walked forward to crouch beside Cassie, and the pink ranger felt Phantom tense beneath her. She felt strangely comforted, knowing that he was ready to protect her if need be.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm already on my way to obtaining your powers," Astronema smirked. "The drug is working perfectly. And since you don't know anything about it, you won't be able to stop it." The evil princess stood up and stared down at the two rangers in scorn. "Soon your powers will be mine, and I'll be the pink ranger." Astronema turned away and began walking for the cell door.  
  
Cassie opened her mouth to protest when Phantom spoke. "I hope you do get her powers," he commented. Cassie's mouth dropped open in shock, and Astronema whirled around, fury on her face.  
  
"Don't play games with me, Ranger!" she snarled. "The reason I haven't been able to defeat you yet is because your powers are different than mine. Once I morph not only will I understand them and be able to counteract them, but I will be able to take other rangers by surprise. They'll recognize me as a friend, and by the time they realize otherwise it'll be too late!"  
  
Undaunted, Phantom continued, and Cassie had to admire his courage. Even if she didn't quite understand what he was doing. "No, really!" he exclaimed, and Cassie wished she could see his expression. "I think you should take her powers. Become the pink ranger. I dare you. Then, once you've become a ranger, you will have become what, by your master's law, must be destroyed."  
  
Realization as to where Phantom was headed struck Cassie, and she bit her lip to keep from giggling. Astronema continued to stare at the rangers suspiciously, arms folded across her chest.  
  
"So, when you have become a ranger, you'll have to destroy yourself or break Dark Spectre's law. Then we'll get the morpher back and none will be the wiser. Except…" Phantom's voice grew hard. "Everyone will hear of how the power rangers destroyed the supposedly all-powerful Princess of Evil, and everyone will know the tale of how she let her stupidity get the best of her."  
  
Astronema shrieked in anger and stamped her foot. "You! Why you-" she reached up and tugged her hair angrily, not seeming to realize her face had now grown bright red.   
  
Ecliptor simply stood watching her, not saying anything, which was probably wise.  
  
He had seen his Princess's fits of anger before, and right now he wished he were somewhere else. Maybe even battling the power rangers. At least they didn't zap you with electricity because someone made them mad. Well, unless you were the one who made them mad. And even then they didn't zap you. They blasted you.  
  
  
* * *  
  
"Now this is going to hurt a little bit," Andros informed the yellow ranger calmly.  
  
Ashley was sitting on the medical bed with her leg propped up. Her gray slacks had been pulled up to her knee to reveal several long, nasty pointed quills deeply embedded in her leg. The yellow ranger had been struck directly above her ankle, and several of the quills were still in her leg.  
  
"What do you mean, 'a little bit?'" she growled. "It hurts A LOT!"  
  
"Sorry," Andros offered. Moving quickly, he grabbed the quill and plucked it out her leg, laying it beside the two other in a small bowl which T.J. held. The red ranger didn't seem to notice her yelp of pain. "But I can't give you any pain killers. You know that."  
  
Carlos looked up from where he stood next to Ashley. The black ranger had volunteered to let Ashley squeeze his hand when the pain became strong so she wouldn't thrash about. It was hard enough for Ashley to keep her leg still even while crushing Carlos' hand. "Why is that?" he asked. "Will it hurt her if she does have pain killers?"  
  
"No," Andros replied a-matter-of-factly. He reached out and plucked another quill from his teammate's leg, ignoring the gasp of pain that escaped her lips.  
  
Carlos frowned. "Then why don't you give her one?"  
  
Andros shrugged and moved his hand forward slowly. "We're out," he stated simply. "DECA's synthesizing some more, but it'll take a few hours, and these quills need to be taken out as soon as possible."  
  
"What do you mean, we're out?" TJ demanded.  
  
Andros turned away from the injured leg and faced TJ, face a hard mask. "I mean we're out." He stated. "What am I, speaking Kerovian all of a sudden?"  
  
"I checked the med bay yesterday," TJ informed his leader, voice as hard as stone. "And we weren't out."  
  
Andros shrugged. "I checked it this morning," he said as he turned back to Ashley's injury. "And we still had some left."  
  
"But you just said we were out!" Carlos exclaimed. "Which means we wouldn't have anymore."  
  
"And we don't," Andros agreed.  
  
"What?" Both Carlos and TJ exclaimed.  
  
"You're not making any sense!" TJ added.  
  
Ashley tensed as Andros gently grabbed hold of yet another quill. "I think he means we're out of the kind for me," she muttered through clenched teeth. The quill slid smoothly out, stained a light pink from her blood, and she winced as the hole in her leg began to bleed.  
  
Andros glanced up at her in surprise, saw her expression, and smiled encouragingly. "I'm almost done," he said gently, and TJ's head jerked up in surprise.  
  
Andros… being nice? TJ met Carlos' gaze, who looked just as startled as he felt, and the black ranger smiled weakly.  
  
"It's okay," Ashley's words of reassurance drew TJ's attention back to the yellow ranger, and he was surprised to see her release Carlos' hand from her grip.  
  
"I'd just appreciate it if you'd warn me before you yank it out," she continued.  
  
TJ winced. He could recall a time when he had been injured, and he had asked for a little warning as well.  
  
And had gotten creamed. The red ranger had been furious, face turning nearly the color of his uniform, and his hand had shaken slightly in his fury. But he had granted TJ his request, even if it seemed as if it had nearly killed him.  
  
"All right," Andros agreed, and TJ's jaw nearly touched the floor. From across the room Carlos grinned and snickered at him in amusement.  
  
Neither Ashley nor Andros seemed to notice the other two rangers' reactions. It was if they were the only two existing people in the universe.  
  
Still gazing at Ashley, Andros murmured, "I'm going to try and pull it out now. Tell me if it hurts too much."  
  
"But-but…" TJ sputtered. He was completely ignored by the red and yellow rangers, but Carlos had obviously heard, for the black ranger burst out laughing from his position next to TJ.  
  
Turning, TJ stared at the black ranger until the laughter died, and he demanded, "When did you move? Last time I looked you were over with Ashley!" he crossed his arms and muttered, "And you can go back over there, too, for all I care."  
  
Carlos grinned. "Aw, come on, man! Your face was hilarious!" Copying the other ranger's posture perfectly, Carlos sputtered, "But-but… But why?" before promptly bursting into laughter once again.  
  
TJ sighed, resuming his watch of his leader removing the quills from his fellow teammate's leg. The red ranger had just finished removing the last quill, and he lay it on the table next to Ashley.  
  
TJ watched, now slightly amused, as Andros grabbed the bottle of antibacterial solution and gently dabbed some on a white cloth. He pressed it against Ashley's leg with his hand, and with his free hand he squeezed her arm sympathetically when she gasped in pain.  
  
After several moments, Andros removed the cloth and grabbed a cream-colored bandage. Dislodging his hand from Ashley's shoulder, he whispered something TJ couldn't quite hear, and began wrapping the bandage around the yellow ranger's injured leg.  
  
The whole process took less than two minutes; gently Andros helped ease Ashley into a standing position beside the bed. Once certain she could stand on her own, Andros' gaze sought TJ's and met it.  
  
"I'm going to go scan for Cassie," the red ranger announced quietly.  
  
TJ sighed. The icy exterior that had briefly melted while tending Ashley's injury was back- the red ranger had returned.  
  
TJ nodded in acknowledgement. "We'll be right there."  
  
Andros glared at him before giving a curt nod, and he spun on his heel and strode out the med. bay, leaving three rangers staring after him, one with a dreamy look on her face.  
  
  
~*~  
  
Immediately after exiting the medical bay Andros leaned against the hallway wall. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm himself. What just happened?  
  
It had started out innocently enough; his removing the quills from Ashley's leg, but it had turned into a sort of… flirt session.  
  
He had known the yellow ranger liked him, but he had thought she was merely his friend-a word he used tentatively, and he hadn't thought himself capable of anything more. The thought of him becoming close to anyone-her especially, was beyond scary- it was terrifying.  
  
His old teammates had been both his friends and family. Unbiddingly, memories of them surfaced, torturing him in the knowledge that they were lost from him forever, and gleeful in their play.  
  
Tyline, the ever cocky prankster, was always up for a challenge. Both he and Zhane had slaughtered each other(and everyone else, for that matter), in their prank wars aboard the megaship. And Zyle, the black ranger, had loved showing off for Tsarmina, the yellow ranger. Both of Zyle and Tsarmina had declared their love for each other the day before they'd been destroyed.  
  
And then there was Desira, the pink ranger. With her long black hair and brilliant green eyes there was no doubt about it: Desira was stunning.  
  
She had been like a sister to him, and while she could never have taken Karone's place, she had captured his heart. He found himself loving her as an older sister, and she had treated him as her brother. But all that had been shattered with her destruction.  
  
Zhane had been his only companion for months. The two of them had already had a strong bond between them-stronger even than the bond of two brothers- and it had increased as they were forced to defend their planet alone, nursing their grief of their lost teammates.  
  
And then Zhane had fallen, wounded so critically no one thought he would survive. But Andros hadn't been willing to give up. Before KO-35's evacuation he had place Zhane in a cryogenic tube on board the megaship, where the silver ranger remained to this day.  
  
Andros whimpered, turning his head to gaze at his new team. They were still in the medical bay and in the same positions as he had left them. They were talking about something, too quietly for him to hear, and he closed his eyes against the pain.  
  
He liked them. Admitting it to himself was hard. He hadn't admitted to liking another person since his team's defeat. But he couldn't hide from himself any longer. He liked them, wanted to be their friend, but every time he got too close he backed away, hiding once again behind the icy exterior that was his only protection against more pain.  
  
He couldn't become their friend, no matter how much he wanted to. To laugh, to lower his icy shield, to be himself… it just wasn't possible. Even if he wanted to be friendly, he couldn't. His old self was buried too deeply within his soul, and it would be nearly impossible to retrieve.  
  
He pushed himself away from the wall and headed toward the bridge. His new self would remain cold to the new rangers.  
  
It was better that way.  
  
* * *  
"Ecliptor."  
  
The green and black henchman turned to regard his queen.   
  
Astronema smiled in wicked eagerness. "Begin the power transfer," she twirled a strand of purple hair around her finger. "Soon the little brat's powers will be mine, and the other rangers will be destroyed."  
  
The evil queen began to laugh, and Ecliptor, seeing the irony of the rangers being destroyed by their own weapons, found himself laughing just as loudly as his mistress.  
  
Soon the rangers would be no more.  
  
To be continued…  
  



	3. Remembrance Lost

  
Remembrance Lost  
By Jeni  
  
Disclaimer: As I'm sure everyone knows, I do not own Power Rangers. And we all know who does, don't we? Saban!  
  
Author's Note: This is the third chapter in the Purple is Prettier Than Pink series (also known as Color Trouble series). I'm slowly getting further, so please be patient with me. School's being a little bit hectic right now, but I'm trying to write as much as I can. Please review, and remember: Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. *smirk* Anyway. Onto the story!!  
  
  
  
  
He couldn't recall when he first began liking the new group of rangers. Cassie, TJ, Carlos, and Ashley- they were all the same: they were naïve. They were amateurs, and so unlike his first team of rangers.  
  
He sighed, thinking back to the day when he first met them. He had just escaped the wrath of Dark Specter for the second time in his life, the first being his harrowed flight from his home planet, KO-35. Coming aboard his ship to discover them roaming about had been a shock. He knew Deca would never bring enemies onboard, but she had never allowed anyone on without his permission. Tired, lonely, and in the process of being chased, he assumed the only logical explanation he could think of: they had somehow disabled Deca. It wasn't until later, after they repaired the engines, when he began to think he had been wrong in his assumption.  
  
And it wasn't until now when he realized that he actually liked them, that he actually enjoyed their company. Yet he couldn't allow that. Not when he was just now, after two years of roaming the universe alone, beginning to gather the pieces of his life back together again.  
  
Nothing good would ever become of his friendship with his teammates. At least, nothing in the long run would. He remembered the happy days on KO-35 well enough. Even after Karone's abduction he had believed, deep down inside, that everything would be all right. He believed that with the help of the Kerovian Ranger team they would find her, just as Desira and Zhane had promised.   
  
Just as Carlos had promised.  
  
He moaned, dropping his face into his hands and closing his eyes tiredly. Was it possible? Could he find Karone? He doubted it. Even with the help of his fellow rangers it seemed improbable. Karone was gone, lost from him for good, yet…  
  
Yet he was living for the sole reason of finding her. If she was alive, she would need his help. If she wasn't…  
  
He wanted revenge. Wanted revenge on Astronema and Dark Spectre badly. If ever he received solid proof that Karone was no longer living, he would challenge either Astronema or Dark Spectre to the death.  
  
He sighed tiredly and stood up, his chair gently swiveling as he brushed past it. This was no time to be dwelling on his plans for the future. He had a teammate to find and rescue, and maybe-just maybe, his new ranger team would not abandon him. He snorted. Foolish thoughts, he knew.  
  
Reaching out, he tapped a button on the console in front of him. A figure sprang up, and he frowned. The Dark Fortress was nowhere within scanning reach.   
  
"Deca?" he whispered softly. He didn't know where the other rangers were, but he didn't want them over hearing anything. "Can you tell me if the Dark Fortress is out of scanning range, or is it just cloaked?"  
  
The red camera blinked at him, and then a motherly feminine voice answered, "I am unable to determine."  
  
Andros frowned, pushing down a hint of panic that threatened to rise within him, and asked, "What do you mean? Did you match their cloaking frequency with our scanners?"  
  
"Of course, Andros." If Deca had been in human form, she would have been rolling her eyes at him. "Either the cloaking frequency has changed, or it is simply out of the megaship's range. I am unable to determine which theory is correct."   
  
"Great!" he muttered, punctuating the exclamation with a quick bash on the controllers with his fist. "Just great! Now what am I supposed to do? Tell the other rangers, 'sorry, but we don't know where the Dark Fortress is. We don't even know how to track it, so you probably won't see Cassie again?"  
  
"I do not expect you to say anything yet, Andros," Deca replied, voice calmer than a brook on a clear and cool day. "But I believe if the megaship's scanning frequencies are changed every two hours, that will allow enough time for the Dark Fortress to be revealed if it is still within range."  
  
"That will take the rest of the day at the minimum." He pointed out sourly, then sighed. "I'm sorry, Deca. I didn't mean to sound so harsh. Thank you for your suggestion."  
  
The camera blinked at him, but the onboard computer said nothing. Tucking his hair behind his ear nervously, Andros seated himself in his respective chair and punched in the new scanning frequency. "Begin scan, Deca." He murmured quietly.  
  
"Beginning scan now."  
  
Andros opened his mouth to say something, but he stopped at the last second, hesitating. He wasn't used to being nice to anyone but Deca, but the other rangers deserved to know what was going on. He sighed. Why did he give them the morphers in the first place?   
  
He shook his head. It didn't matter. What happened, happened, and he couldn't take his actions back now. Sighing again, he instructed, "Please inform the other rangers the situation. Tell them there is nothing they can do here."  
  
The camera blinked at him once, then replied, "They have been brought up to date."  
  
He grunted sourly. "Thanks, Deca."  
  
"You're welcome, Andros."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *   
  
Deep within the outskirts of the Kerovian system the Dark Fortress lurked. It was the perfect hiding place; the red ranger would never suspect his abandoned home as Astronema's new operation base. And by the time he figured it out, it would be too late. The pink ranger would be drained of her powers long before a rescue mission could be planned.  
  
Astronema smirked, stepping to stand in front of the scanners. It never hurt to be careful. She quickly tapped a few commands in, wishing that she could trust Elgar to do set the alarm properly. But knowing that fool, he would most likely set the alarm for any stray ship entering the area. Her lips twisted up in an irritated snarl. Why had Dark Specter sent that fool? As if her life wasn't filled with enough annoying pests already.  
  
She turned, nearly bumping into Ecliptor as she did so, and she growled angrily.   
  
"I am sorry, my Princess," Ecliptor drawled when he recognized the look of irritation on her face. "I did not mean to run into you. I merely wished to inform you the power transfer is able to begin."  
  
"The machine is ready?" Astronema questioned. "Who fixed it?"   
  
"I did, my Princess," Ecliptor answered gravely, then added, "Elgar did not touch the machine to my knowledge."  
  
Astronema nodded thoughtfully, brushing past Ecliptor to stand before the machine. She gazed down at it for several seconds, studying it intently and trying to see if anything was amiss. The switch to begin the transfer appeared operational, as did the stop button. Everything looked all right, but she as far as she was concerned, the real danger was always hidden from sight. Not that she didn't trust Ecliptor. He had been her childhood protector ever since the rangers had killed her family, and she knew that if he wanted to harm her he would have done so long ago.  
  
She trusted Ecliptor with her life, and in truth he was the only one she did trust. The quantrons were loyal to her as well. So what was she worried about? Nearly everyone on the Dark Fortress was loyal to her, and none of those who weren't had been allowed near the machine.   
  
She shrugged, realizing it was pointless to dwell on the subject, and instructed the nearest quantron to bring the two ranger prisoners to her. Soon she would have the pink ranger's powers, and nothing could stop her. She smiled in pleasure at the thought.  
  
A muffled scraping sound alerted her to her captive's arrival, and she smirked as the pink ranger was forced into the room. Her smirk quickly changed to a snarl as the Phantom ranger appeared behind the pink ranger. Glancing toward Ecliptor, Astronema jerked her head slightly.   
  
Nodding, Ecliptor moved forward and grasped the Phantom ranger with one hand and threw him against the wall, chuckling when the ranger went limp.  
  
"Leave him alone!" the pink ranger cried fiercely.   
  
Astronema nearly giggled, her amusement was so great. The rangers actually cared for one another! How pitiful. Caring made you weak.  
  
"My dear pink ranger," she purred, striding forward to stand beside her prisoner. The pink ranger, to Astronema's immense delight, was glaring at her in hate, with a touch of fear in her eyes. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what was about to happen.  
  
She nearly snarled, then. She had once been in the same situation. When her family had been killed she had been left for dead. The power rangers hadn't cared about what would happen to her, and if it hadn't been for Ecliptor she probably would have died. She sneered. It was time the rangers got a taste of their own medicine.   
  
"What's a matter, ranger? Don't want to be here?"   
  
The pink ranger glared at her hatefully, and Astronema chuckled. "Don't worry," she said sweetly, leaning toward the other girl until their foreheads nearly touched. "You won't be here much longer. You or your phantom friend." She jerked her head at the figure of the limp ranger.  
  
"Why, you…" the pink ranger struggled against the quantron's grip but to no avail. Quantrons weren't necessarily good fighters, but they were incredibly strong. The pink ranger wouldn't be going anywhere soon. Neither would the phantom ranger, but for different reasons.  
  
"Now," Astronema began sweetly, "Let us begin the power transfer, shall we?" She walked over to the machine and crouched down beside it, one hand resting lightly on the top. "Bring her forward."  
  
As the pink ranger was brought to the machine, Astronema rose gracefully to her full height. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she smirked. "Your ranger friends won't be able to help you now, will they?"   
  
The pink ranger was short, but what she lacked in height she made up for with feistiness. Raising her chin defiantly, the raven haired girl spat.  
  
The liquid hit Astronema directly in her left eye, and she shrieked, desperately wiping the offensive spittle from her face.   
  
The pink ranger was smirking at her, and the Princess of Evil's temper flared. "Why you little…" she trailed off abruptly, satisfied when the ranger's worry increased at her sudden apparent calmness. "No matter," she shrugged sweetly, flashing an angelic smile to the ranger. She noted with great contentment that her sudden mood swings seemed to disconcert the other girl. It was rather amusing, and Astronema felt she could play her ranger torturing game for several more hours, but there were more pressing matters at hand.   
  
"Ecliptor," she instructed. "Begin the power transfer."  
  
The cubicle being nodded. "As you wish," he rumbled, then leaned forward… and flipped the switch.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Scanning complete. The Dark Fortress was not detected in this galaxy."  
  
The Red Astro Ranger groaned, pushing his torso off the console. He propped his elbows up and leaned his head into the palm of his hand, rubbing his eyes tiredly with the other. "What'd you say?"  
  
"Scanning is complete. The Dark Fortress was not detected in this galaxy." Deca paused, voice now sounding slightly worried. "Are you all right, Andros?"  
  
Andros frowned. As far as he remembered Deca had always been more of a surrogate mother than a computer to him, but sometimes her concern went too far. "I'm fine," he muttered.  
  
But Deca was not to be dissuaded that easily. "You appear tired, Andros. I believe you should get some rest."   
  
*I am tired,* he thought grimly. *I'm tired of war, I'm tired of being alone, and I'm tired of pain. But mostly, I'm tired of *living.*  
  
But he shook his head, refusing to admit his weakness even to Deca. "I'm fine."  
  
"If you say so," Deca acquiesced, her tone implying she didn't believe him, and he sighed. He just wanted to be left alone. But Deca always seemed to know when he was depressed more than usual, and she always started a conversation. It was her way of trying to take his mind of his troubles. It was a nice thing for her to do, and her intentions were good, but he didn't always appreciate it.   
  
Pushing the matter to the back of his mind, he instructed, "Begin scanning the next sector. Keep scanning until you have a lock on the Dark Fortress. Once you've found it, don't tell anyone but me. Understand?"  
  
"Affirmative." The red light blinked inquiringly at him. "May I ask what you will be doing until then?"  
  
Surprised, Andros gazed at the camera suspiciously, wishing he knew what the computer was thinking. "Does it matter?" he asked finally.  
  
"If you do not want to be disturbed, then I will not disturb you until I have a positive location on the Dark Fortress. Is that not what you wished?" The question was innocent enough, but there was something about the way Deca spoke that put him instantly on guard. That and the fact that she never left him alone, regardless of his request, unless she herself felt it was in his best interest.  
  
Warily, slowly, he answered, "Y-yes. I would appreciate not being disturbed until then."  
  
"Very well," Deca answered primly. "I will inform you of the Dark Fortress's location as soon as it is discovered. Until then, I will not disturb you."  
  
"Thank you," Andros said, then exited the bridge, heading toward the Simudeck. He felt a strange urge to visit KO-35 again, even though it had been abandoned for years, but that wasn't unusual. He had discovered long ago that he was homesick, and while a simulation of his home planet wasn't as enjoyable as the real thing, he would just have to wait until Cassie was recovered before visiting his home planet in person again.  
  
But for now, there was the simudeck.   
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Ashley Hammond smacked a card down on the table in front of her and declared, "Uno!" She giggled as Alpha groaned and lay his own cards down on the table as well.  
  
"Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi! I was so close! I almost beat you that time, Ashley!"  
  
Ashley giggled again. "Yeah," she agreed. "You only had twelve cards left!"  
  
Alpha shook his head, red lights flashing across his forehead plate and he gathered up the cards. He held them out to her. "I believe it is your turn to shuffle the cards, Ashley," he commented, and Ashley smiled.   
  
The little robot was always so helpful, whether helping out with a ranger problem or staying with someone when they needed company. She didn't know what would've happened if Alpha had been destroyed during the Power Chamber explosion, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the former turbo rangers would have died on the moon far from home. Deca had told her that it was Alpha who had convinced Andros to return for them, and Ashley knew she was indebted to the little robot for that.  
  
She reached out to take the cards when Deca intervened in her quiet voice. "Ashley, could you please report to the Simudeck?"  
  
Frowning, Ashley retracted her hand, not realizing Alpha still held the cards. "Is there a meeting?" she questioned, then added hopefully, "Has Cassie been found?"  
  
"Negative," Deca replied. "However, I believe it is in your best interest to report to the Simudeck."  
  
*My best interest?* The yellow ranger thought, startled. *What the heck?*  
  
"All right," she said slowly, and with Alpha's help she managed to stand. "I guess I'll go to the Simudeck." Turning, she addressed Alpha, "Could we finish the game later?"  
  
"You bet!" the cheery robot replied, and Ashley had to smile at its enthusiasm. "I still have to beat you, remember!"  
  
Ashley laughed, then carefully made her way to the simudeck, all the while wondering why Deca had instructed her to do so. She shrugged. She would find out soon enough.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Hot. She was burning up. Her skin felt hotter than a furnace on a winter day, hotter than the largest solar flare ever recorded.   
  
The heat confused her; who was she? Where was she? Dimly, she remembered that her name was Cassie Chan, and she loved the Phantom Ranger.   
  
She was a ranger, too, she realized dreamily. She was the pink ranger. She had been captured, or something like that, and she had met the Phantom ranger for the first time since the incident on Hercuron. At least she thought.   
  
Who was she again?  
  
A voice other than her own drifted through her mind. *I am Astronema!*   
  
Astronema? Was that her name? No. Her name was Cassie Chan. She had remembered that a few seconds ago.   
  
Then who was Astronema? And why was she so confused?  
  
A rushing sound filled her ears, and an image of a river flashed through her mind, clear and vivid in detail. It was quickly followed by a sense of closeness, a sense of joining, and then a sense of deep loss.  
  
She awoke with a start and a pounding headache. Opening her eyes slowly, noticed she was sprawled on the cold floor of the Dark Fortress. Next to her lay the Princess of Evil, Ecliptor kneeling next to her protectively.  
  
The Princess of Evil?  
  
Astronema! Phantom!   
  
Cassie jerked upright so quickly her vision blurred. Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she slowly crawled to where Phantom lay, still unmoving, on the floor in the same position as when he first fell. She glanced back toward Ecliptor; both he and the quantron were still kneeling next to Astronema. Indeed, it seemed they had eyes for nothing but the unconscious princess.   
  
That was a good thing, Cassie realized. If she could somehow reach Phantom and move him before Astronema woke up, they would have a chance at escaping. Increasing her speed, she reached the other ranger and gently shook him. He moaned quietly, and she froze, glancing back at the small party huddled around their fallen leader.   
  
The sound had gone unnoticed. Desperately Cassie shook her companion again, wishing he wasn't morphed so she could mask his quiet groans. But he was morphed, so she just had to hurry and hope he wasn't heard.  
  
"Phantom?" she whispered softly. "Come on, wake up. We have to get out of here."  
  
The phantom moaned again, and his helmet twitched slightly. Cassie noticed, and whispered excitedly, "That's it! Come on, wake up!"  
  
Another twitch. And then, a sudden jerk as he bolted upright into a seating position, nearly knocking Cassie over in his abruptness.   
  
"Cassie?" he murmured. "Are you all right?"  
  
Cassie shook her head impatiently. "I don't know," she answered truthfully. She wasn't entirely certain as to what had happened; did she still have her powers, or not? But that wasn't important right now. It would be important later-much later- but they had to concentrate on escaping.   
  
She opened her mouth to explain when a sudden moan cut through the stillness. Both rangers froze, eyes flickering to where the Astronema was slowly reviving. "We gotta get out of here!" Cassie whispered harshly, and grabbed Phantom's hand, jerking him to his feet. Together they managed to stumble into the corridor outside the room they had just evacuated when they heard a shriek.  
  
"Find them!"  
  
It was Astronema. She was awake at last; their disappearance had been discovered. They glanced at each other, and Cassie had the sudden feeling she was looking directly into the Phantom's eyes, when by some unspoken agreement they looked away and took of in a sprint.  
  
"Where can we hide?" Cassie panted. From her peripheral vision she saw the other ranger shake his head.   
  
"I am not certain. Where would be the least logical place for us to go? We need to go somewhere where they would not look for us."  
  
Cassie snapped her fingers. "The dungeons!" she whispered triumphantly. "They'll never suspect us hiding in the dungeons!"  
  
The Phantom nodded. "Let us hurry," he suggested in an urgent whisper.   
  
They ran in silence then, ignoring the cries of pursuit behind them and the alarm blaring but instead listening for any sounds ahead of them. They had reached the corner to the dungeon when a slight mechanical creak alerted them to the arrival of quantrons. Ducking down, the two escapees hugged the wall, panting slightly.   
  
Peeking around the corner, Cassie saw a group of five or six quantrons huddled in the corridor, effectively blocking the only way to and from the dungeons. She looked back at Phantom and held up six fingers, then gestured toward the corner, shaking her head. She wasn't certain if the other ranger would understand her gestures, but she couldn't risk whispering.  
  
But he nodded, and she nearly sighed in relief before she stopped herself. Even the slightest noise would be heard.   
  
A clatter from the hallway behind them alerted them to their pursuers coming up rapidly behind them. Cassie froze, not daring to breathe, and then the Phantom ranger was grasping her in his arms, and a whispered, "hold on," reached her ears.  
  
She nodded, not certain as to what he had in mind, but she trusted him, and then her vision blurred for an instant and she realized he had wrapped them both in his invisible cloak.  
  
And then she was being carried, quicker than she could blink, and then they were in the safety of the darkened dungeon, the sound of pursuit rising before fading again within the deep blackness of the Dark Fortress.   
  
  
  



	4. Forever Alone

Forever Alone  
  
By Jeni  
  
Peace, Love, and a whole lot of candles.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. I know this, but I don't like it.  
  
Author's Note: I apologize in advance for any typos or mistakes I might make… I sprained my wrist so it's a little difficult to type… I should catch most of the mistakes but a few will probably escape my notice. Again, sorry in advance. Oh, um... Is this the fourth? Yeah. This is the fourth chapter in the Color Trouble series, hope you like it. Big, Big, BIG thanks to Starhawk for letting me borrow Saryn's character, and for providing me with his history so I could write this fic. Linnse and Tobin, and the Frontier Defense for the Border worlds also belong to Starhawk, which means the history belongs to her as well, and is used with her permission. And remember: If life hands you lemons, make lemonade. But if you don't like lemonade, you're screwed.  
  
"Two hundred and twenty-one, two hundred and twenty-two…"  
  
Beside him, Cassie stirred and pushed herself up on her elbows to squint at him through sleep-filled eyes. "What are you doing?" she murmured.  
  
He shrugged. "Counting."  
  
She stared at him, and he squirmed a little under the gaze. He wasn't used to being stared at, and it was even more disconcerting when the stare came from her. "Counting what?" she asked, her tone sounding a little exasperated but at the same time amused. "How many hours we've been here?"  
  
He turned his head, thankful once again for the helmet that masked his face. He didn't trust himself when around the Pink Ranger. She was so beautiful, from her midnight black hair to the light tint of brown in her eyes, and he was desperately afraid she would one day find out how much he cared for her.   
  
But he shook the thought away with a tilt of his head. As long as he stayed morphed he would be okay. *Just,* he reluctantly admitted, *until my crystal overtaxes. We have to escape before that happens.*   
  
"We have not been here for two hundred and twenty-three hours," he informed Cassie. Surely she must know that.  
  
The pink ranger laughed shortly, and he blinked at the loveliness of the sound. "I know," she grinned. "It's just a form of speech. It feels like we've been here for ages."  
  
He frowned, knowing she wouldn't be able to see his expression under his visor, and offered, "You have been here for approximately two days." He paused, then added quietly, "I am sure your team will be searching for you."  
  
Cassie sighed, her demeanor immediately turning serious. "Searching for me, yes." She shook her head. "Finding me, though? That's another matter. They'll have no idea were the Dark Fortress is, so they'll most likely scan sector be sector. And that kind of scanning can take *forever.*"   
  
"Yet they have no other choice." He didn't understand why he was defending the Astro Rangers. In truth, he had met all of them before, most of them when they were turbo rangers, but that wasn't what had prompted him to speak. After all, he barely even knew them. The only ranger he knew well enough to call a friend was the red astro ranger, Andros.   
  
He could recall the day he met Andros clearly. Depressed, angry and in pain, the red ranger had just witnessed the death of his entire ranger team. He had gone to Eltar in search of Zordon, but Phantom didn't know why. He had never asked, and the other ranger had never offered any explanation. But the red ranger had been present at the Battle of Eltar, and had fought valiantly with Phantom until they were forced to retreat and go their separate ways.  
  
"Oh, I'm not angry with them," Cassie shook her head, sending her long hair rippling in the dim light, and his breath caught as it shimmered. "I know it's not their fault. In fact…" she sighed. "If it's anyone's fault it's mine. I should have listened to them and stayed on the ship. But instead I went down to help fight a monster and was captured."   
  
"Elisia is nearly defenseless," he countered harshly. "I will not stand by and do nothing to aid my planet during its time of need."  
  
Linnse flung up her hands. "Of course not!" she cried. "What was I thinking? Listen," her voice softened and she folded her arms across her chest- a sure sign that she was both sympathetic and irritated. "I know you just lost your team. And I know Elisia is defenseless. But if you go back there now, you'll be killed."  
  
He turned away from Eltar's only female ranger. Staring down at his ruby, he muttered quietly, "There are worse things."  
  
With a start he jerked back to present day. Cassie was still watching him, waiting for his response as if she had just finished speaking. But what had she been saying? Her mouth was moving again. He strained to hear, desperately trying to make out what she was saying, but it was of no use. His crystal was overtaxed; he had remained morphed for too long. Yet he couldn't demorph now, not in front of her…  
  
Black obscured his vision and at the same instant a wave of exhaustion overcame him. He struggled to stay upright, to assure Cassie he was fine, but it was all he could do to remain conscious. He would have frowned, if he had the energy. His crystal overtaxed frequently; whenever he stayed in his morph too long it would drain his strength, but it had never acted so swiftly and with so little warning.  
  
He shook his head in desperation, but it was no good. He was losing consciousness rapidly. A bright flash of white before his eyes, a humbled voice saying he had failed his team and was searching for Zordon, then black, blacker even than the deepened color of Cassie's hair, and then he knew no more.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The Simudeck was in use. Frowning, Ashley still managed to somehow maintain her usual cheerful expression, and asked, "Deca? Are you sure I'm supposed to be here?"  
  
The computer blinked at her. "You may enter while the program is running. It will not disrupt the program and will not cause injury to yourself or the person in there."  
  
"Oh, I know it won't," Ashley replied hastily, still looking at the camera. "I've done it before. But I don't want to intrude."  
  
"You will not be intruding." Deca's voice answered primly, with a touch of what Ashley could have sworn was impatience.  
  
She shrugged. "Very well, if you say so."  
  
She was about to take a step forward, when Deca replied, "I do say so."  
  
Surprised, Ashley halted in mid-step, throwing her arms out to catch herself on the wall before she stumbled. "What?"  
  
She knew Deca could get an attitude. All the astro rangers did. To make Deca mad meant something totally unexpected and unwanted was going to happen to you. But the computer had never before talked to her in such a manner. She would have smiled, if she hadn't been so confused. Deca sounded like a sulky little kid.  
  
"I said you will not be intruding." If there had been any doubt left in Ashley's mind whether Deca was more than just a computer, the simple statement washed it away. Computers didn't get impatient, and Deca was definitely impatient, judging by the tone of her voice.  
  
"Okay," Ashley sighed. "I won't be intruding." She began walking to the entrance, when Deca interrupted her once again.  
  
"No matter what anyone says, you are not intruding."  
  
This time Ashley did stumble. When she had recovered her balance, she turned again to the computer, a sense of uneasiness beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. "Just what is that remark supposed to mean?" she asked hesitantly.   
  
The computer blinked. "It means you might not be welcome at first. And you most likely will have an argument."  
  
"An argument with who? And why do you want me to go in if I'm not wanted?"  
  
"You are wanted," Deca answered, her voice softening. "You are desperately wanted and needed, even if he doesn't yet realize it."  
  
He. That meant Deca was probably referring to Andros. Ashley sighed, shifting so her back was facing the simudeck's door and sat down.  
  
"He doesn't like me, Deca. He doesn't like anyone." Ashley drew her legs to her chest and clasped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She had liked Andros the instant he had demorphed for the first time in front of her.   
  
She had been foolish, then, she knew. Walking around and poking him like he was some type of an exotic exhibit at one of Earth's museums. He had looked at her as coldly then as he still did to this very day. She sighed dejectedly. "My regard means nothing to him, Deca. You made a mistake."   
  
"Your regard," Deca stated flatly, "means everything to him. He just doesn't realize it."  
  
"Yeah," Ashley muttered, "and that's why he's so mean to me." She knew in a way that she was being unfair. Andros had, after all, been very gentle when cleaning her wound. Yet she still didn't understand him. During that time she had thought she had finally, to some extent, broken through his shell. His sudden kindness and concern had been completely unexpected. Thinking back, she could remember seeing the surprise on his face, as if he thought he wasn't capable of feeling anything anymore.  
  
She curled her fist in determination. She had reached him for a brief time. He was still capable of feeling hurt, pain… concern. She would reach him again, but this time, she wouldn't stop until he admitted it to himself. No matter what he, or anyone else, said.  
  
She stood up and walked purposely to the Simudeck's entrance. She had a mission. One more important than any other she had ever had before, and one ten times harder than fighting Astronema or her army.   
  
Engrossed in her thinking, she didn't see Deca's smug blink before the computer regained her usual air of pretence indifference.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"You can't help Elisia like this," Linnse stated flatly. She was positioned between himself and the door, blocking his only way out.  
  
"I can, and I will!" He clenched his fist angrily. "You would do the same if Eltar were under attack."  
  
Linnse shook her head. "That is different. Eltar has more than one ranger. Elisia only has one. You."  
  
"Which is why I must go there!" He limped forward, clutching his newly-obtained ruby. "It will be unprotected! You must let me go!"  
  
"No." The voice was spoken from behind him. He whirled, wincing slightly as a veil of black danced before his eyes. He was still unused to this form of power.  
  
The voice belonged to Tobin, an Eltaran ranger with Linnse. "No," Tobin repeated. "You must not go. You are alone. You would have no chance against Dark Spectre's forces."  
  
"I will have a better chance than anyone on Elisia right now," the Shadow ranger muttered. "It is wrong for you to detain me here."  
  
"Listen to us, Saryn!" Linnse pleaded. "There has to be another way. You won't do Elisia any good if you are killed."  
  
"And I'm not doing them any good alive, either, so what difference does it make?" He didn't even notice the use of his name.  
  
Tobin's voice sounded from the Shadow Ranger's left, and he tried very hard not to jump. "One ranger is not enough to defend Elisia. Even if he can turn invisible-" Tobin shot a meaningful look in his direction, "Or the worlds in a similar predicament. We need something bigger, something stronger."  
  
Linnse snapped her fingers. "What if the rangers were only used for secondary defense? You know, if some of Dark Spectre's forces somehow managed to get to the targeted planet…" she trailed off, her eyes bright in excitement.  
  
The Shadow Ranger of Elisia, also known as Saryn, nodded. "Perhaps," he said quietly, "if we could form a defense system- one so powerful and large it could prevent any forces from reaching a planet's surface, we would have a chance."  
  
"And the citizens of every non-ranger protected planet that petitions for protection would not unguarded," Linnse smiled. "That's a great idea! But can we do it?"  
  
"We have no choice," Saryn crossed his arms tiredly. "If we could form a defense system to defend the Border worlds then any danger could be destroyed before doing any real harm."  
  
Tobin shrugged. "We have to try," he said. "If anyone can form this Defense, we rangers can."  
  
Linnse smiled. "You're right. Even if we fail, at least we tried."  
  
As one, each ranger extended one arm and clasped wrists. "And if we do succeed," Saryn began, and Linnse smiled. "Then Elisia and all the other Border worlds will be safe," she finished.  
  
"All the other Border worlds will be safe… all the other Border worlds will be safe…" the voice echoed, slowly fading from his hearing. Blackness returned, and a strange voice, whispering something he couldn't quite hear…  
  
The voice faded into nothingness as a different image took the place of Linnse and Tobin. He saw himself, unmorphed, staring into the deep darkness of space, in the direction of Earth. He wasn't morphed…  
  
He wasn't morphed…  
  
Slowly, he reached up to touch his forehead when a hand intercepted his arm. He could feel the soft skin against his own. Startled, he jerked away, realizing he had somehow demorphed without meaning to. He didn't understand. Never before had he demorphed unless he willed it to happen, and never before had he demorphed in his sleep.  
  
"Phantom?" Cassie's voice. She was right there, next to him. She was the one who had pulled him out of the daze he had fallen into. But how? No other person, ranger or non, had been able to wake him after his crystal overtaxed.   
  
"Phantom? Are you…" the hesitation in the pink astro ranger's voice was strong. "Are you all right?"  
  
He sighed, recognizing the genuine concern the other ranger held for him. It was the same concern he held for her, and no matter what he told himself, he knew he cared for her greatly.  
  
"Phantom?" He nodded slightly and was surprised when the movement caused nothing more than a slight sense of dizziness.  
  
"I am… well," he managed at last, only it wasn't as difficult to say as it seemed it should have been, and with sudden clarity he realized his response was very near the truth. Aside from being slightly tired, he felt normal. Yet he had collapsed from sheer exhaustion, caused by remaining in his morph too long, and had been healed somehow.   
  
That was the only explanation. His exhaustion had been drained away, leaving a mere spark of sleepiness in its wake.   
  
But who healed him? Astronema was the only sorceress powerful enough to do so, but he highly doubted she wanted him alive and well, even for possible hostage use. Another factor was that she didn't even know where he was, therefore it making it nearly impossible for her to perform any healing ritual well enough for it to take immediate effect.  
  
That still left the question unanswered. He leaned back against the cold wall of the dungeon with a tired sigh.  
  
Cassie must have interpreted the sigh the wrong way, for she was at his side in an instant. "Are you all right?" Her voice was soft, gentle, and he nearly lost himself in the sweetness of the tone.  
  
"I am well," he answered, feeling her hand on his arm. The slight form of physical contact instantly reminded him of the fact that he was still unmorphed. He avoided her gaze, afraid to see repulsion or anger in her eyes.   
  
A whisper of air startled him and he looked at her as she sat by his side. "Look at me when you say it," she instructed, her voice low and husky, and he swallowed.  
  
Fixing his gaze on her nose, he repeated, "I am well."   
  
She shook her head. "Look in my eyes and say it."  
  
He frowned, reaching up to brush a dark lock of hair away from his icy blue eyes. Slowly, he raised his gaze to that of hers, hesitant in the fear of what he might see.  
  
What he saw took his breath away. Love and compassion shone from her dark brown eyes with concern underlying the two stronger emotions. Gazing deep into the depths of her crystal eyes, he was at her mercy. "I am well," he breathed. Silently, he added that he was better now then he had been in years. He did not say it aloud for fear of alarming her. She may like him now but if he came onto her too fast it might scare her away.  
  
Her eyebrow furrowed, her gaze still fixed on his, until at last she nodded as if satisfied. "I believe you."  
  
He allowed a brief quirk of his lips before turning his face away. "Thank you."  
  
He sensed her shrug. "Sure." She cuddled up next to him. "So what do you say?"  
  
Surprised, he looked at her. She was staring at him eagerly, radiating a sense of overly enthusiastic optimism. Hesitantly, not sure what she meant, he asked, "What do I say about what?"  
  
She shrugged again. "About escaping. We can't just sit here and wait for my team to arrive. We should-"  
  
She broke off at his sudden hiss in warning as a soft clanking sound reached his ears. Moving as one, they slid silently into the darkest corner of the cell in hopes the shadows would be enough cover. If not… Saryn flexed his wrist experimentally. He was no longer tired, which meant his crystal was back to full strength. Not only would he be able to morph, but he would be able to fight. And he could defend Cassie if he needed to. But he hoped there would be no cause for that.  
  
A bright flash of silver bobbed into focus, slowly drawing nearer. It appeared to be a Quantron, but between the distance and the darkened light he wasn't sure. It moved forward at a steady pace until it reached the cell in which he and Cassie were hidden.   
  
The quantron made no move to enter, instead it reached out, closing the cell doors firmly and latching them tightly together. A quick shake informed it they wouldn't be opened without a key, and it moved on, echos resounding as a result of it testing the doors.  
  
From her position next to him, Cassie sighed, slumping down to the floor in a dejected manner. "Great," he heard her mutter. "Just great. We're right back where we started."  
  
He shrugged, knowing she couldn't see the movement as she wasn't looking at him, and sat down beside her. "All we can do is wait and hope your team finds us."  
  
Her head turned toward him and their gazes locked. Neither one of them wanted to say it, but they both felt they couldn't afford to wait that long.   
  
They remained silent, listening to the squeaks and groans of the Dark Fortress, and slowly drifted off into an unpleasant and dreamless sleep.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Look, I'm not saying you don't care about us, I'm just saying that you act like you don't!" Ashley crossed her arms in irritation. Andros sat next to her, glaring at her furiously.   
  
She had walked into his simudeck program to see him sitting under a tree in what she assumed was a simulaton of a park from his home world. She had approached him boldly, sitting next to him before he noticed her and commenting on the beauty of the place. He had brushed her aside with a simple shrug, obviously intending to ignore her until she went away.  
  
But she didn't go away, and what had started as a one sided conversation quickly turned into a heated debate.  
  
"If you don't like how I act, then leave me alone!" Andros snapped. Sitting under the tree on the bright green grass he looked for all the world like a rebellious teenager. Long hair, earrings, wearing red and gray… Ashley pushed the sudden image of him in one of California's many gangs to the back of her mind. Any other time it might have been funny, but now…  
  
"I can't leave you alone."  
  
Andros snorted. "You mean you won't! Just because you're my teammate doesn't mean I have to like you- or your company."  
  
Ashley's own temper finally snapped. It took a lot to make her angry, but when she reached that point she could be incredibly nasty. "Do you actually think of us as your teammates?" She demanded hotly. "Do you? Or do you consider us to be some people who you have to share your ship with?"  
  
"Hey, I don't have to share my ship with anyone," Andros retorted. "I chose to let you stay on my ship."  
  
"You had no choice at all," Ashley snapped. "Sooner or later you would have had to have let us on your precious ship. And no, just because I'm your teammate doesn't mean that you have to like me. But it does mean that you have to keep us informed. You can't keep us at a distance all the time!"  
  
Andros rolled his eyes. "I don't. Now leave me alone."  
  
Ashley shook her head. "Not good enough!" she cried. "You put up with us when you have to. You didn't come tell us about the Dark Fortress in person. You had Deca do it. That's not good enough."  
  
Andros whirled. His face was a light shade of red, but whether it was from embarrassment or anger Ashley couldn't tell. "Not good enough?" he roared, and she blinked at the strength in his voice. "Not good enough. Since when do I have to live up to expectations, to regulations regarding your team?"  
  
"Hey!" Ashley began hotly, rising on her knees. "It's not my team. It's our team. It's your team! It's everyone's team! Got it?"  
  
Andros raised himself on his knees to match her stare to stare. His aggressiveness actually surprised Ashley, for he usually avoided looking at her when he spoke. "No! It is NOT my team! I didn't ask for one. I came back from a mission to find you snooping around. I did fine on my own. I didn't need your help then, and I don't need it now! I don't need anyone but myself!"  
  
Ashley shook her head. "No," she countered. "That isn't true. You do need our help and you know it. Admit it."  
  
Andros laughed bitterly. The sound made Ashley's back shiver slightly. "Help?" he asked scornfully. "I get no help from you. You want to know what I get from you? Nothing. You're a burden. All of you. You don't know anything about the ship, you don't know anything about Astronema, and you don't know anything about space. So no! Don't say I need your help." He accented the last word with a sneer and plopped back on the ground, face turned away so he couldn't see her.  
  
His words stung Ashley as surely as if he had slapped her in the face. "That's how you think of us?" she whispered, stunned. "As a burden?" Swallowing against the tears which threatened to consume her, she leaned as close to him as she dared. "Then I'm sorry you feel that way. Maybe it would all be better if we just left you alone. I'm sorry." She stood up and walked away, not looking back. She managed to reach her room before she burst into tears.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Andros remained in the same spot several hours after Ashley had left. His legs were drawn up to his chest, arms clasped around them with his chin resting on his knees.  
  
What had he done? What had he said?  
  
*Just because you're my teammate doesn't mean I have to like you- or your company.*  
  
He closed his eyes, swallowing as tears attempted to escape his lashes. The truth was, he did like her, and he did enjoy her company. And that's what scared him. Her coming to confront him had been completely unexpected.  
  
He opened his eyes and turned his glare to Deca. "Thanks, Deca," he said sarcastically. "Thanks for not disturbing me." The camera blinked at him but said nothing. He turned away with a sigh, automatically returning to his original position.  
  
*You want to know what I get from you? Nothing.* He swallowed again, feeling a tear trickle down his cheek. He didn't bother brushing it away. "You want to know what I get from you?" he muttered quietly, miserably. "Compassion." He opened his eyes then shut them again. "And that's what bothers me."  
  
*You're a burden.* He shook his head. "You're not that much of a burden. Only in some battles."  
  
*It is NOT my team!* "But it is," he whispered softly. "It is my team. It's as much my team as it is theirs. We're all a part of it."  
  
*I didn't ask for one. I came back from a mission to find you snooping around. I did fine on my own. I didn't need your help then, and I don't need it now! I don't need anyone but myself!* He winced, remembering the heartbreaking expression of stunned hurt on her face.  
  
"I need to apologize," he whispered hoarsely, and the floodgate of tears opened. Burying his face in his knees, he cried. He cried for the loss of Karone, and for the destruction of KO-35.  
  
He cried to Tyline, for Zyle, for Tsarmina and Desira, his first and only ranger team.   
  
He cried for Zhane, the irrepressible cocky silver ranger, his best friend. For Tammon, his ranger instructor, the stern yet kind hearted man who had always been there when he needed him.  
  
He cried for Kinwon. For his parents.  
  
He cried for himself.  
  
*Well, that's it for the fourth chapter, hope you liked it!*  
  



End file.
